Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World

"Sara, aren\'t you supposed to be at the hospital?" Poul asked, glancing back at her. Their faces were so close that leaning forward even an inch would result in a kiss.

"Well, it\'s my free time, and I missed you, Poul," Sara replied, puckering her lips. "I thought maybe we could spend some quality time together and go out."

"I\'m sorry Sara, but there\'s too much work right now. We have to prepare for the congressional hearing that is going to be held in two months."

"Congressional hearing?" Sara repeated. "What are you talking about?"

Poul hasn\'t told Sara about the congressional hearing as he finds it unnecessary to involve her in the politics of the business. He doesn\'t want to make her worry with her mind occupied with the impending case that could affect her performance as a doctor.

"Saudi Arabian raised concerns about the presence of our private militia protecting our oil mining facilities in the Damman against the local militias. The very same private militia that started a war between JoseonKingdom and the Empire of Japan," Poul explained simply. "But there\'s nothing to worry about as we will come prepared."

"Speaking of coming prepared Poul," Jonathan interjected. "Two days away from now, is the presentation of our bid to the Chicago World\'s Fair Council. How are we progressing on that front?"

Poul\'s eyes lit up as an idea popped up in his head. "Well, Sara, since you wanted us to go out, how about you come with me to Chicago?"

Sara\'s eyes widened in surprise at Poul\'s unexpected invitation to Chicago. The thought of accompanying him on a trip was enticing, and she doesn\'t want to miss it. But, as a doctor in their company hospital, she felt conflicted because some days could be unexpected. In a day or two, a patient would come into the emergency room inflicted with injuries that only she can tend on.

Poul gently turned to face Sara, his eyes filled with concern as he noticed her troubled expression.

"What\'s bothering you, Sara?" he asked softly, his hand tenderly cupping her cheek.

Sara sighed, feeling torn between her desire to be with Poul and her responsibilities as a doctor. "I really want to go with you, Poul," she began, "but I can\'t help but worry about leaving the hospital. What if something urgent happens, and I\'m not there to attend to the patients?"

Poul\'s thumb caressed her cheek soothingly. "I understand your concerns, Sara, and I don\'t want you to feel pressured to come with me. In that case, you don\'t have to go." 

"Sara, can I share some words with you?" Jonathan chimed. "Undoubtedly, you are the best doctor in our company hospital right now and everyday workers from our factories would go in to have their injuries checked. But before your arrival, we already have skilled doctors and nurses trained to deal with any kind of injury. So you can rest assured that even without your presence in the hospital, nothing much is going to change. You can go with Poul if that\'s truly what you want."

Sara looked between Poul and Jonathan, grateful for their understanding and support. Their words reassured her that she wasn\'t leaving her patients in incapable hands. She knew her colleagues were skilled, but her dedication to her work had always made her feel responsible for every patient\'s well-being.

"Poul, Jonathan, thank you for understanding," she said, a smile playing on her lips. "You\'re right. Having witnessed it myself, how could I be so blind to not realize the competence of our medical team? I know they are skilled, and I trust them to handle any situation that may arise in my absence."

"See? So go with Poul now. As always, I\'ll take care of the company while he is away. And Poul, I\'m nearly finished on our skyscraper project."

"Skyscraper project?" Sara repeated as she curiously glanced toward Jonathan.

"Oh, we haven\'t told you this before Sara but Poul and I are planning on constructing the iconic skyscrapers that dominated New York in the late 1930s," Jonathan paused for a dramatic effect. "We call it the Empire State Building."

Sara let out an astonished gasp, her eyes widening in awe. "Great…can it be built in this era?"

"We already have the technology and the techniques we needed to make it a reality," Jonathan replied with a smile. "Just like the real Empire State Building, it\'s going to take two years of construction. Once built, it\'s going to be our second main office."

"But what would happen to this office?" Sara asked.

"It will still serve as our office, but come one, every businessman in Avalonia is making New York their headquarters. It\'s only natural for us to do the same."

As they were having an amicable discussion, a person entered their office. It was Amelia, who was carrying a document in her hands as she approached Poul\'s desk.

"This is the complete proposal of our bid to the Chicago World\'s\' Fair Council," Amelia said, handing the document to Poul.

Poul flipped the document open and perused the contents. He nodded in satisfaction.

"Great, as always, thanks for your hard work, Amelia," Poul said with a smile as he glanced over the proposal. "This looks very promising. I\'m confident we have a strong chance of winning the bid."

"But I have some concerns, Poul. The bid that you put up is significantly lower than Russell, and to build the infrastructure, we would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars." 

"Well, Amelia, the reason is simple: thirty million people from all over the world are going to attend the World\'s Fair, and a lot of them are going to be astounded by it to the point they\'d want one for themselves. So we lose money in the fair but gain money in the future," Poul explained with a glint of excitement in his eyes. "It\'s like we are putting up an advertisement."

"I see," Amelia nodded understandingly. "In that case, good luck with your proposal, Mr. Nielsen." 

With that, Amelia left the office, leaving the three of them.

"We better prepare for our trip."